18 Jun
2009
18 Jun
'09
8:20 p.m.
Dan,
You seem to be missing the point of my request for help.
1. The laptop is worth about $50.00, I'm not spending $1200 to recover data off the
HDD, and neither is my friend who it belongs to. She is upset losing the $100 it cost her
two years ago.
2. The laptop doesn't boot. It asks for a password. This is in the BIOS. It can't
be bypassed to boot from floppy or CD. Without this password, the system is bricked. There
is no way to recover it other than changing the logic board and HDD. Since all I want is
the HDD data, that is not the solution.
There is a way to recover the password, but nobody will tell me where the TPM chip is
located on the 600e logic board. I don't want to just take the laptop totally apart. I
want to take as little apart as possible.
I'm hoping someone knows the IBM master password so I can get into the bios and reset
the system. Barring that, this system is junk.
Thanks anyway.
----- Original Message ----
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:06:28 -0400
From: Dan Gahlinger <dgahling at hotmail.com>
take it to a data recovery place, ask for a free estimate.
be prepared to pay $1200 or more.
as for the CMOS, you can still wipe it.
remove the HDD, then boot either floppy or CD that would bypass that password,
would also confirm exactly how it is locked.
you can still try to contact IBM for recovery (for a large fee I suspect)
otherwise you're SOL
Dan.
18 Jun
18 Jun
9:05 p.m.
I wasn't missing the point, just trying to offer some suggestions.
there may be a way to "short" the cmos to clear it,
sorry I can't help with IBM specifics, the link provided previously in regards to the
Atmel chip looks like your best bet,
but also looks like you'll need to take apart more than you'd prefer.
Dan.
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:20:28 -0700
From: alhartman at yahoo.com
Subject: RE: IBM Thinkpad 600e can't get past password prompt...
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Dan,
You seem to be missing the point of my request for help.
1. The laptop is worth about $50.00, I'm not spending $1200 to recover data off the
HDD, and neither is my friend who it belongs to. She is upset losing the $100 it cost her
two years ago.
2. The laptop doesn't boot. It asks for a password. This is in the BIOS. It can't
be bypassed to boot from floppy or CD. Without this password, the system is bricked. There
is no way to recover it other than changing the logic board and HDD. Since all I want is
the HDD data, that is not the solution.
There is a way to recover the password, but nobody will tell me where the TPM chip is
located on the 600e logic board. I don't want to just take the laptop totally apart. I
want to take as little apart as possible.
I'm hoping someone knows the IBM master password so I can get into the bios and reset
the system. Barring that, this system is junk.
Thanks anyway.
----- Original Message ----
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:06:28 -0400
From: Dan Gahlinger <dgahling at hotmail.com>
take it to a data recovery place, ask for a free estimate.
be prepared to pay $1200 or more.
as for the CMOS, you can still wipe it.
remove the HDD, then boot either floppy or CD that would bypass that password,
would also confirm exactly how it is locked.
you can still try to contact IBM for recovery (for a large fee I suspect)
otherwise you're SOL
Dan.
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live helps you keep up with all your friends, in one place.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9660826
10:13 p.m.
I dont know if it is helpful, but I recovered the use of an old BIOS
password protected Digital laptop once by shorting the serial data out
line on the NVram chip to ground using a long wire that I routed outside
the case, powering up the laptop, which then complained that the NVram
was corrupt (gosh!) - I then entered the bios setup utility, typed in a
new password, cut the wire, and pressed 'enter' to set the password
(write it to memory) - Worked like a beaut.
Doug
escaped outside the caseDan Gahlinger wrote:
I wasn't missing the point, just trying to offer
some suggestions.
there may be a way to "short" the cmos to clear it,
sorry I can't help with IBM specifics, the link provided previously in regards to the
Atmel chip looks like your best bet,
but also looks like you'll need to take apart more than you'd prefer.
Dan.
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:20:28 -0700
From: alhartman at yahoo.com
Subject: RE: IBM Thinkpad 600e can't get past password prompt...
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Dan,
You seem to be missing the point of my request for help.
1. The laptop is worth about $50.00, I'm not spending $1200 to recover data off the
HDD, and neither is my friend who it belongs to. She is upset losing the $100 it cost her
two years ago.
2. The laptop doesn't boot. It asks for a password. This is in the BIOS. It can't
be bypassed to boot from floppy or CD. Without this password, the system is bricked. There
is no way to recover it other than changing the logic board and HDD. Since all I want is
the HDD data, that is not the solution.
There is a way to recover the password, but nobody will tell me where the TPM chip is
located on the 600e logic board. I don't want to just take the laptop totally apart. I
want to take as little apart as possible.
I'm hoping someone knows the IBM master password so I can get into the bios and reset
the system. Barring that, this system is junk.
Thanks anyway.
----- Original Message ----
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:06:28 -0400
From: Dan Gahlinger <dgahling at hotmail.com>
take it to a data recovery place, ask for a free estimate.
be prepared to pay $1200 or more.
as for the CMOS, you can still wipe it.
remove the HDD, then boot either floppy or CD that would bypass that password,
would also confirm exactly how it is locked.
you can still try to contact IBM for recovery (for a large fee I suspect)
otherwise you're SOL
Dan.
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live helps you keep up with all your friends, in one place.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9660826 
19 Jun
19 Jun
1 a.m.
On Fri, 2009-06-19 at 15:13 +1000, Doug Jackson wrote:
I dont know if it is helpful, but I recovered the use
of an old BIOS
password protected Digital laptop once by shorting the serial data out
line on the NVram chip to ground using a long wire that I routed outside
the case, powering up the laptop, which then complained that the NVram
was corrupt (gosh!) - I then entered the bios setup utility, typed in a
new password, cut the wire, and pressed 'enter' to set the password
(write it to memory) - Worked like a beaut.
The thing is, would that also clear the hard disk password? Probably
not. Recovering the password from the NVRAM sounds like the way to go,
assuming it's one password for the whole lot.
Gordon
8:03 a.m.
IBM/Lenovo implemented different levels of security from weak to strongest
(supervisor's password is one of such) and reason this is not possible to recover a
machine that has supervisor's pwd set without a pwd but there are work around, hence
the link I gave here.
Clearing a CMOS *will not work* on this particular design IBM/Lenovo implmented in their
Thinkpads/Lenovo. This is main reason so much businesses specify the thindpads for this
reason. Same with Blackberry due to way their management with data is secure and remote
management as well. This is reason apple couldn't secure wide use in this particular
area because iphone/itouch does not have security/programs running in
background/management programs to control them from central site in their businesses like
Thinkpad/Dell does.
Supervisor pwd locks the computer tighter and locks the hard drive out with a encoded data
that is not possible to extracted without this following method to crack the supervisor
pwd. Once you have the correct pwd and entered thus, computer will unlock everything and
go directly into bios set up screen and *disable all pwds*. Then you are home free and
data is now accessible once again.
Reason need the thinkpad running so the second PC running software dump can extract
(snooping) the raw data while thinkpad reads the IC during boot up is raw because it is
encrypted on the 8 pin EEPROM. Then a another software is run to decode the extracted
data with a decoding pass so you can find the actual password at specific location as
shown.
That what wires and some easily made homebrewed circuit with few simple components hooked
into thinkpad and a second PC with said software is necessary to pull this off.
This cracking methods is different across different makes and works on majority of
thinkpads/lenovos. Your 600e is one of them that you can do this method.
Cheers, Wizard
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live helps you keep up with all your friends, in one place.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9660826
8:13 a.m.
Hi, Have you checked this link? Requires some work to construct this little circuit
(easily sourced from junk boards as diodes/resistors are jellybean items and a connector
chopped from serial cable laying around that you have too many of or get one from
Saver/Value Village for few bucks.) and bit of disassembly of thinkpad, not too bad to do
and it is required. The IC is small SMD 8 pin with Atmel as shown in the FAQ.
Make 3 wires disconnectable/connectable with some way of connectors from junk pile so you
don't have to be so careful connecting/disconnecting right on the chip itself in live
thinkpad.
http://sodoityourself.com/hacking-ibm-thinkpad-bios-password/
Data is too important so have to do this done to unlock a thinkpad.
Cheers, Wizard
----------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:20:28 -0700
From: alhartman at yahoo.com
Subject: RE: IBM Thinkpad 600e can't get past password prompt...
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Dan,
You seem to be missing the point of my request for help.
1. The laptop is worth about $50.00, I'm not spending $1200 to recover data off the
HDD, and neither is my friend who it belongs to. She is upset losing the $100 it cost her
two years ago.
2. The laptop doesn't boot. It asks for a password. This is in the BIOS. It can't
be bypassed to boot from floppy or CD. Without this password, the system is bricked. There
is no way to recover it other than changing the logic board and HDD. Since all I want is
the HDD data, that is not the solution.
There is a way to recover the password, but nobody will tell me where the TPM chip is
located on the 600e logic board. I don't want to just take the laptop totally apart. I
want to take as little apart as possible.
I'm hoping someone knows the IBM master password so I can get into the bios and reset
the system. Barring that, this system is junk.
Thanks anyway.
----- Original Message ----
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:06:28 -0400
From: Dan Gahlinger
take it to a data recovery place, ask for a free estimate.
be prepared to pay $1200 or more.
as for the CMOS, you can still wipe it.
remove the HDD, then boot either floppy or CD that would bypass that password,
would also confirm exactly how it is locked.
you can still try to contact IBM for recovery (for a large fee I suspect)
otherwise you're SOL
Dan.
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5665
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5665
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5 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
alhartman＠yahoo.com -
dgahling＠hotmail.com -
doug＠stillhq.com -
gordonjcp＠gjcp.net -
jpero＠sympatico.ca